Safe Streets: Insights on Vision Zero Policies from European Cities

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Vision Zero — a Swedish concept developed in the 1990s that sets the moral imperative of eliminating traffic fatalities and severe injuries — is gaining traction in the United States. Cities from New York to Anchorage have moved in the last few years to adopt Vision Zero commitments and plans.  There are, however, concerns that U.S. leaders could be moving to implement plans without sufficiently understanding the fundamental principles that make Vision Zero transformative and successful. Drawing on the Swedish, Dutch, and German experiences, this report aims to better understand the European experience with Vision Zero policy in order to inform a substantive and effective adoption in the United States. It proposes a set of policy recommendations for how U.S. cities can move from good intentions to actual actions that result in ensuring safe mobility for all.